Arch-supporting shoe



March 8, 1949. s o s 2,464,159

ARCH SUPPORTING SHOE Filed March 31, 1945 /Z I I 1 Im A @9020 if 1'! 4 w ii JNVENTOR. 2Z0 Z7 Z5 B T/VZOZJO/PE/P. SI/MOMS HTTO/PA/EQ Patented Mar. 8, 1949 ARCH-SUPPORTING SHOE Theodore R. Simons, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Weyenberg Shoe Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application March 31, 1945, Serial No. 585,851

2 Claims. ((31. 36-85) V This invention relates to improvements in shoe structures and a method of shoe manufacture and more particularly to shoe structures having a built-in arch support.

()ne object of the invention is to provide an arch-supporting type of shoe in which a plurality of means having difierent properties are so combined that each modifies the action of the other while coacting to furnish the desired support.

Another object of the invention is to provide an arch-supporting shoe in which support is obtained by the combined action of a stifiening element and a cushioning element assembled in predetermined relationship so as to meet varying personal requirements.

Another object of the invention is to provide an arch-supporting shoe in which a substantially non-deformable stiffening means provides the support for the whole arch of a foot while a resilient padding means built into the shoe and related to the stiffener adapts the stiffener action to the needs for localized pressure of a particular wearer without undesirable change in the appearance of the shoe while enhancing the durability thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method for making shoes employing a combination stiffened and padded arch support in which the pad and the stiffener are placed and fixed in a predetermined relation in the shoe upper prior to the sole laying operations.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method for making arch-supporting shoes in which a predetermined relationship of a pad and a stiffener is positively maintained during completion of the shoe and during its use.

Applicant is aware of prior arch-supporting shoe structures, such as shown in Patent 2,107,129 to Rohn et 21., issued February 1, 1938, which do not, however, function in the same manner nor produce the same result as in the present invention.

Objects and advantages other than those above set forth will be apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the shoe embodying the present invention with a portion of one of the vamp rear quarters broken away to illustrate the relationships of the variou elements of the shoe;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the broken line IIII of Fig. 1, the parts appearing in elevation being somewhat diagrammatically indicated to clarify the illustration; and

Fig. 3 is a development of a portion of a shoe upper with parts broken away.

The shoe shown in the drawing for illustration purposes comprises an upper I 0, insole H, welt i2, outsole l3, and heel M.

The shoe upper IE! includes a forepart [8 which may or may not be provided with a separate tip at E9, the lines 20 in the present construction merely indicating stitching to simulate a tip construction. The upper of the shoe has two rear quarters 23 and 24 joined to the forepart 8 and to each other, the rear quarters being provided with lacing eyelets 25. The rear quarters are similar in their general construction and each comprises an outer 26 into which a cloth interliner 2! i fixed and a leather lining 2B is secured along at least some of its edges to the outer leather. It will be understood that the linings are suitably shaped by the use of darts, gussets, etc. to conform to the desired last. The heel portion of the upper is suitabl reinforced by a counter 29 and the toe of the shoe may likewise be reinforced by the usual toe stiffener box (not shown) The rear quarter 23 of the shoe upper is provided with an arch-supporting stiffener 32 which is preferably of textile material impregnated with a substance which makes the stifiener relative- 1y hard and rigid when in use but which may be rendered soft and pliable, when desired, as in lasting the shoe. Such materials are well known in the art and need not be specially described herein. The stiifener is shaped substantially as a semi-circle and the edges are preferably skived to avoid interference with the inseam sewing and the formation of undesirable bulges or ridges in the finished shoe. The stiffener is inserted between the cloth interliner 21 and the leather lining 28, in the position indicated in Fig. 3, to be fixed in the finished shoe, as indicated in Fig. 1.

A pocket is formed on the leather lining 28 by a leather patch 33, the pocket also being substantially semi-circular in shape but larger than the stiffener and sewed on the inside of the lining at the location at which the stiffener is to be held. The difference in size of the patch and stiiiener should be such that the sewing of the patch lies outside the edge of the stiffener, thus obtaining a more comfortable arch support through the gradual increase in thickness from the edge to the center of the built-up portion. The patch is preferably leather similar to that of the lining 28 and the pocket formed thereby receives and encloses a pad 34 of resilient material, such as sponge rubber preferably of a shape similar to that of the stiffener but slightly smaller than the stiffener. The pad is of such size as to have a slight clearance between its edges and the enclosing pocket 33 so that the pad may distort under pressure as required when the shoe is in use.

In manufacture of the shoe upper the pocket 1 patch 33 is sewed on the exposed face of the lining in the desired location and the outer 2e, the,

interliner 2'1, and the leather lining idthen are assembled. The pad 3 3 is then centered in the pocket and the stiffener 32 is.placedbetweenthe l lining 28 and the interliner 2i below-the pad'and centered thereon. Such superposed-relationship 1 change the thickness being sewed and cause sew-- ing diffic-ulties or-evenproduce undesirabl bulges or ridges in the shoe. After the insearning has been completed, the partially completed shoe is.

trimmed anda filler door any suitable material is applied to the underside of the insole i l. The outsole is then attached and theshoe finished, all in Well known manner.

It will be-seen that the present invention provides an arch support utilizing the combined action of ia stifiener'concealed from View in the finished shoe, and resilient pad superposed on the=stiffener and'located-in a pocket visible iii-- side the completed shoe. The supporting stiffener hence does not affect theoutward appearance of the shoebut the pocket is visible on the insideof the shoe indicating the presence of an arch sup port..

In the inseam- Obviously other securing means-might The stiffener and the pad have substantially opposite, or at least widelydirferent, characteristics, and function .in difierentways to modify i theactions' or each other so that the sum. total of the desired arch support is obtained. To obtain the desired combined action'of the two support-- ing means shown, such means are permanently fixed in-predetermined relation priorto the inseam:sewing of the shoe so that no displacement from-the desired position of either of the supporting means canoccur during either the manufacture or use of the shoe.

It. will .berunderstood that the stiffener fur-- nishes the basic support and vto-that end'isshaped to conform to the average arch. However, there is a wide. variance-in individual requirements and nosinglecontour of stiiiener will alone provide the maximum comfort in ,all cases.- With the present invention the: cushion orpad eoualizes or distribu es the-pressure of the arch onthe stiffener and the latter is thus made to conform to the contour best suitedto the-individualsre quirements, Thus, by virtue of-the combined action of the stiffening member and resilient pad an efiect comparable to individualized arch support is achieved in mass shoe production which avoids the necessity for built-to-order shoes in the vast majority of cases.

Although but one embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described it will be apparent" to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein Without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims,

I claim:

1.. A shoehaving an upper comprising an outer and lining, a generally semi-circular pocket forming-member located at the arch portion of the upper with its chord disposed downwardly and its curved edge secured to the exposed face of the lining, a sponge rubber pad having a shape similar to but smaller than said member and being zpositioned inthe pocket; in contact with the lining and :with :its curved edge substantially; spaced from the secured edge, of said member to provide space for distortion of the pad edge pertions whenstressed, a stiff enerhaving a generally semi-circular shape and bein positioned opposite the pad, between the covering and the lining, isolated fastening meanspenetrating the padythe stiffener,-. and the lining and securing the pad and the stiffener to each other and to the lining, said fastening means-comprising the sole means of attaching 'the pad and the liningandbeing substantially spaced from the edge-of. thepadtoallo-w said distortion of thepad-iedge portion, and an insole and a welt having secured therebetween the lower edges of-the outer I covering,- the lining and'said member to close the bottom of the pocket;

2. A -shoeehaving an upper comprising an outer and lining, a generally semi-circular pocketforming .member locatedat the arch portion of lining and. with, its curved edge substantially spacedfrom the secured edge of said member to provide space fordistortion of the pad-edge portionswhen stressed, astifiener having a generally semiecircularshapeand.being positioned opposite the pad, between the outer and the lining,

andstaples securing 'the-paclland stiffener to each other and to. thev lining, saidstaples comprisingthe sole means. of. attaching the pad and the stiiiener to theliningand being substantially spaced from the edge of the pad to allowvsaid'.

distortion of the pad edge portion.

THEODORER. SIMONS.

CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Datev 109,492 Austria Apr. 25, 1928 307,165 Great Britain Mar. '7, 1929 4251661 Great Britain Mar. 19, 1935 stiffener to the 

